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palpable； historic； present。 To them the degraded Koreish of the desert；
who as they believed； and I think believed rightly； had fallen from the old
Monotheism of their forefathers Abraham and Ismael； into the lowest
fetishism； and with that into the lowest brutality and wretchednessto
them； while they were making idols of wood and stone； eating dead
carcases； and burying their daughters alive； careless of chastity； of justice；
of property； sunk in unnatural crimes； dead in trespasses and sins； hateful
and hating one anothera man； one of their own people had come； saying：
〃I have a message from the one righteous God。 His curse is on all this；
for it is unlike Himself。 He will have you righteous men； after the pattern
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of your forefather Abraham。 Be that； and arise； body； soul； and spirit； out
of your savagery and brutishness。 Then you shall be able to trample
under font the profligate idolaters； to sweep the Greek tyrants from the
land which they have been oppressing for centuries； and to recover the
East for its rightful heirs； the children of Abraham。〃 Was this not； in
every sense； a message from God？ I must deny the philosophy of
Clement and Augustine； I must deny my own conscience； my own reason；
I must outrage my own moral sense； and confess that I have no immutable
standard of right； that I know no eternal source of right； if I deny it to have
been one； if I deny what seems to me the palpable historic fact； that those
wild Koreish had in them a reason and a conscience； which could awaken
to that message； and perceive its boundless beauty； its boundless
importance； and that they did accept that message； and lived by it in
proportion as they received it fully； such lives as no men in those times；
and few in after times； have been able to live。 If I feel； as I do feel； that
Abubekr； Omar； Abu Obeidah； and Amrou； were better men than I am； I
must throw away all that Philoall that a Higher authorityhas taught me：
or I must attribute their lofty virtues to the one source of all in man which
is not selfishness； and fancy； and fury； and blindness as of the beasts which
perish。
Why； then； has Islamism become one of the most patent and complete
failures upon earth； if the true test of a system's success be the gradual
progress and amelioration of the human beings who are under its influence？
First； I believe； from its allowing polygamy。 I do not judge Mohammed
for having allowed it。 He found it one of the ancestral and immemorial
customs of his nation。 He found it throughout the Hebrew Scriptures。
He found it in the case of Abraham； his ideal man； and； as he believed； the
divinely…inspired ancestor of his race。 It seemed to him that what was
right for Abraham； could not be wrong for an Arab。 God shall judge him；
not I。 Moreover； the Christians of the East； divided into either monks or
profligates； and with far lower and more brutal notions of the married state
than were to be found in Arab poetry and legend； were the very last men
on earth to make him feel the eternal and divine beauty of that pure
wedded love which Christianity has not only proclaimed； but commanded；
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and thereby emancipated woman from her old slavery to the stronger sex。
And I believe； from his chivalrous faithfulness to his good wife Kadijah；
as long as she lived； that Mohammed was a man who could have accepted
that great truth in all its fulness； had he but been taught it。 He certainly
felt the evil of polyamy so strongly as to restrict it in every possible way；
except the only right waynamely； the proclamation of the true ideal of
marriage。 But his ignorance； mistake； sin； if you will； was a deflection
from the right law； from the true constitution of man； and therefore it
avenged itself。 That chivalrous respect for woman； which was so strong
in the early Mohammedans； died out。 The women themselveswho； in
the first few years of Islamism； rose as the men rose； and became their
helpmates； counsellors； and fellow…warriorsdegenerated rapidly into
mere playthings。 I need not enter into the painful subject of woman's
present position in the East； and the social consequences thereof。 But I
firmly believe； not merely as a theory； but as a fact which may be proved
by abundant evidence； that to polygamy alone is owing nine…tenths of the
present decay and old age of every Mussulman nation； and that till it be
utterly abolished； all Western civilisation and capital； and all the civil and
religious liberty on earth； will not avail one jot toward their revival。 You
must regenerate the family before you can regenerate the nation； and the
relation of husband and wife before the family； because； as long as the
root is corrupt； the fruit will be corrupt also。
But there is another cause of the failure of Islamism； more intimately
connected with those metaphysical questions which we have been hitherto
principally considering。
Among the first Mussulmans； as I have said； there was generally the
most intense belief in each man that he was personally under a divine
guide and teacher。 But their creed contained nothing which could keep
up that belief in the minds of succeeding generations。 They had
destroyed the good with the evil； and they paid the penalty of their
undistinguishing wrath。 In sweeping away the idolatries and fetish
worships of the Syrian Catholics； the Mussulmans had swept away also
that doctrine which alone can deliver men from idolatry and fetish
worshipsif not outward and material ones； yet the still more subtle； and
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therefore more dangerous idolatries of the intellect。 For they had swept
away the belief in the Logos； in a divine teacher of every human soul； who
was； in some mysterious way； the pattern and antitype of human virtue and
wisdom。 And more； they had swept away that belief in the incarnation of
the Logos； which alone can make man feel that his divine teacher is one
who can enter into the human duties； sorrows； doubts； of each human
spirit。 And； therefore； when Mohammed and his personal friends were
dead； the belief in a present divine teacher； on the whole； died with them；
and the Mussulmans began to put the Koran in the place of Him of whom
the Koran spoke。 They began to worship the bookwhich after all is not
a book； but only an irregular collection of Mohammed's meditations； and
notes for sermonswith the most slavish and ridiculous idolatry。 They
fell into a cabbalism； and a superstitious reverence for the mere letters and
words of the Koran； to which the cabbalism of the old Rabbis was
moderate and rational。 They surrounded it； and the history of
Mohammed； with all ridiculous myths； and prodigies； and lying wonders；
whereof the book itself contained not a word； and which Mohammed；
during his existence； had denied and repudiated； saying that he worked no
miracles； and that none were needed； because only reason was required to
show a man the hand of a good God in all human affairs。 Nevertheless；
these later Mussulmans found the miracles necessary to confirm their faith：
and why？ Because they had lost the sense of a present God； a God of
order； and therefore hankered； as men in such a mood always will； after
prodigious and unnatural proofs of His having been once present with
their founder Mohammed。
And in the meanwhile that absolute and omnipotent Being whom
Mohammed； arising out of his great darkness； had so nobly preached to
the Koreish； receded in the minds of their descendant